Technical Field
The invention relates generally to testing structures and processes for wireless or RF (radio frequency) communications systems. More particularly, the invention relates to test structures and processes for the determination of interference between wireless signals.
Description of the Background Art
It is necessary to equip receivers, transmitters, and transceivers with antennas that efficiently radiate, i.e. transmit and/or receive desired signals to/from other elements of a network to provide wireless connectivity and communication between devices in a wireless network, such as in a wireless PAN (personal area network), a wireless LAN (local area network), a wireless WAN (wide area network), a cellular network, or virtually any other radio network or system.
Cable gateways and wireless routers commonly comprise a plurality of radios, e.g. two radios, such as comprising a first, e.g. cable modem radio, and a second, e.g. Wi-Fi radio, wherein the radios operate with different frequencies. However, the sub-harmonic or harmonic frequencies of a first radio, e.g. a cable modem radio, may land upon the frequency band of a second radio, e.g. within a 2.4 GHz or 5.0 GHz band of a Wi-Fi band, thus potentially causing interference between the signals.
While tests of the performance of each of the radios for a cable gateway or router may readily be performed during development or manufacture, individual testing of radio performance does not detect overlap, i.e. interference, between bands.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a structure and process that readily detects interference between two or more radio bands. The development of such a structure, system and process would provide a significant technical advance.